The popular search engine has introduced nine new interface languages, among them Pig Latin, Elmer Fudd, and Hacker, the latter being a mixture of letters, numbers, and symbols. While visitors can't expect to get useful results by typing "Icrosoftmay" into the search engine, they can go to the Google preferences page and choose one of the nonsense languages as the basis of the Google interface. So the "Google Search" button becomes "Ooglegay Earchsay" or "Google Sewch, uh-hah-hah-hah," while "I'm Feeling Lucky" turns into "I'mway Eelingfay Uckylay" or "I'm Feewing Wucky."

A Google spokesman says the decision to add Pig Latin, Elmer Fudd, and Hacker to its interface language menu--which already featured "Bork, Bork, Bork!," the language of the Swedish chef on The Muppet Show--is part of an effort to personalize the Google user experience. "There are plenty of obsessive Google users who want to be entertained," he says. Besides, he says, "You can't hold us back from having some fun." Google expects the new interface language options to be greeted enthusiastically, given the warm reception that met "Bork, Bork, Bork!" when it was added a couple of months ago. Not only is it more popular than many real choices, but users are E-mailing the company with additional suggestions, including Minnesotan ("Ya, you betcha!").

The spokesman says that over time, Google hopes to increase the number of languages, currently 26, that can be used in searches. But whether Pig Latin searches will become a reality remains to be seen.